Normally, when Commencal shows off a new bike, it’s a slacked out mountain bike meant for getting rad. Their newest bike is still all that rad life, but this time it’s meant for the streets. Or gravel. Or trails, really. Called the FCB for Fast City Bike, the bike is billed as an urban commuter that has the ability to take to the dirt whenever you have a chance.
Obviously, gravel bikes are big right now. But not everyone wants to run drop bars, and that seems to have given new life to the category of flat bar city/gravel hybrids. Granted, bikes like the FCB and the recently announced Specialized Diverge EVO are far from your average flat bar commuter. However, it is a bit odd to see narrow 640mm bars called out as a feature when the Diverge EVO is sold with 750mm bars, especially when it’s paired with a 50mm stem (you can always cut bars down, but you can’t add to them!).
Commencal gets credit for allowing clearance for very large 700c x 50mm WTB Venture tires. Shipped with tubeless ready Alex GX26P rims and tubeless ready WTB tires, the bike is equipped for everything from fast pavement adventures to full on trail rides.
Designed with a 6061 triple butted aluminum frame, the bike runs a rigid fork with internal routing on both. It’s not clear from the specs whether the fork is carbon with an aluminum steerer tube, or a full aluminum fork. Accessory mounts are kept to a minimum, but you will find two bottle cage mounts inside the front triangle, fender mounts, and what appears to be a rear rack mount.
Equipped with a SRAM Apex 1×11 drivetrain and Tektro HD-R280 hydraulic disc brakes, the complete build has a claimed weight of 24.03lbs/10.9kg (no frame size given). Priced at $1,099, the FCB is available for pre-order in four sizes and will begin shipping in October, 2020.
